Facebook Ad Specs and Image Sizes 2019 | The Easy Guide

In order for an ad to be effective, it’s content and creative needs to be customized – tailored exactly to the audience it’s reaching, the product it’s selling and, maybe most importantly, the medium it’s displayed on.

That’s particularly true in Facebook advertising, which offers marketers a whole slew of sizes, placements and ad styles across hundreds of platforms and sites across the web.

Facebook Ad Specs and Image Sizes 2018:

Though you could try a one-size-fits-all method, that’s likely going to result in some disappointments along the way – either for the end user or in your campaign’s ultimate ROI.

Want to make sure your ads are customized perfectly for the exact placement and ad type you’ve chosen?

Use this guide to Facebook ad specs to help:

1) Single Image Ads

These are the oldest type of ad in the book. A simple, single image with a link, small amount of copy and a headline, they’re easy to set up and work with every type of ad objective except for video views.

The Facebook ad specs for single image ads are:

Images:

Size – 1,200 x 628 pixel

Ratio – 1.91:1

Other Recommendations – Minimal or no text on the image

Copy:

Text – 90 characters

Headline – 25 characters

Link Description – 30 characters

There are a few exceptions to these specs. On Promote Your Page objectives, you’ll want an image size of 1,200 x 444 pixels and a ratio of 8:3. On Increase App Engagement objectives, shoot for a 16:9 ratio.

Though .MOV and .MP4 files are preferred, Facebook does allow a few other video types. See this full list for more guidance.

Sarah Rogers, Manager, Performance Social at CPC Strategy

“Video is typically the cheapest of all the ad types on Facebook. The majority of the reason for that is because Facebook is geared heavily towards video and is trying to encourage advertisers to use it as much as possible,” Sarah Sanchez, Manager, Performance Social at CPC Strategy

3) Slideshow Ads

Slideshow ads essentially allow you to create a looping video ad out of up to 10 different images. You can use them with any objective except for the Product Catalog Promotion.

Here are the Facebook ad specs for slideshow ads:

Images:

Size – 1,280 x 720 pixels

Ratio – 16:9, 1:1 or 2:3

Format — .MOV or .MP4

Other Recommendations – Choose images with a consistent ratio. Using different sizes will lead to cropping.

Copy:

Text – 90 characters

Headline – 25 characters

Link Description – 30 characters

4) Canvas Ads

Canvas ads are a new type of Facebook ad that lets you create a full-screen branded experience that users can interact with. See Canvas.Facebook.com for an example.

Facebook ad specs for canvas ads are as follows:

Text – 90 characters

Headline – 45 characters

Description – 30 characters

Image: 1,200 x 628, 1.9:1 ratio

Video: .MOV or .MP4, 16:9 or 1:1 ratio

Once a canvas ad is clicked, it will open up into a more full-scale experience that can include things like videos, tilt-to-pan images, buttons, linked photos, captions and more.

There are separate specs for each individual element you’ll choose, so follow the prompts carefully and use examples of Facebook’s Canvas page for inspiration if you go this route.

5) Carousel Ads

Carousel ads let you use a combination of all other ad types, running up to 10 images, slideshows or videos in one single campaign. Each element can even be linked out to different landing pages.

The Facebook ad specs for carousel ads are:

Images:

Size – 1,080 x 1,080 pixels

Ratio – 1:1 square

Other Recommendations: Minimal or no text on the image

Videos:

Format – .MOV or .MP4

Aspect Ratio – 1:1 square

Resolution – 720p at minimum

File Size – 2.3 GB maximum

Length – 60 minutes (Facebook), 60 seconds (Instagram)

Thumbnail – 1,080 x 1,080 pixels, 1:1 ratio

Copy:

Text – 90 characters

Headline – 40 characters

Description – 20 characters

Facebook ad options are constantly evolving and changing, so check back often for updated ad specs as they crop up.

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About the AuthorTara graduated from the University of New Hampshire with a B.S. in Journalism / Business. Her passion for creative publishing and quality reporting landed her work opportunities at several companies in Massachusetts, New York and California. She is a leading voice behind CPC Strategy’s Blog. See all posts by this author here.

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